Definition
Origin
Discoverer
Etymology
Class
Sub-Class
Group
Other Categories
Texture
Color
Maintenance
Durability
Water Resistant
Scratch Resistant
Stain Resistant
Wind Resistant
Acid Resistant
Appearance
Interior Uses
Exterior Uses
Other Architectural Uses
Construction Industry
Medical Industry
Antiquity Uses
Commercial Uses
Types
Features
Monuments
Famous Monuments
Sculpture
Famous Sculptures
Pictographs
Petroglyphs
Figurines
Fossils
Formation
Mineral Content
Compound Content
Metamorphism
Types of Metamorphism
Weathering
Types of Weathering
Erosion
Types of Erosion
Hardness
Grain Size
Fracture
Streak
Porosity
Luster
Compressive Strength
Cleavage
Toughness
Specific Gravity
Transparency
Density
Specific Heat Capacity
Resistance
Asia
Africa
Europe
Others
North America
South America
Australia
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria